Chapter 72 - Auction Event

When she arrived at Angeline's house, she started to organize the closet. She neatly arranged Bryan's suits, and while doing so, Angeline accidentally stumbled upon the gift that Sera had given to Bryan. Angeline also read the letter that Sera had written, and her memories returned to the moment when Bryan had revealed everything. Suddenly, Auntie arrived to announce that Madam Rose had arrived, startling Angeline. Angeline immediately put the gift back in its place and went to meet Madam Rose. "What brings Mama here?" Angeline asked with a smile. "Did you know there's an auction tomorrow? What is Angeline going to donate for tomorrow's auction?" Madam Rose asked, seemingly worried. "Is Mom here to ask about that? Honestly, I haven't decided what to donate yet," Angeline replied politely. Then Madam Rose happened to notice a mug with a picture of a baby and the name "Semesta" on it. It was a mug that Angeline had painted with all her heart. Madam Rose was intrigued and picked up the mug and examined it carefully. "Semesta is my baby's name, isn't it beautiful?" Angeline explained without being asked. "Oh, really? Did Bryan agree to name the baby something so vague?" Madam Rose asked in astonishment. Angeline didn't get angry when she heard that. "Yes, Bryan agrees, and he thinks the name will sound sweet and cute when repeated," Angeline replied. But an evil thought crossed the evil mind of Madam Rose. She already had a plan to embarrass Bryan. "In that case, Angeline, you don't need to donate anything at the auction tomorrow. Bryan must have prepared something expensive," Madam Rose said with a sly smile. "All right," Angeline replied obediently. Madam Rose then left Bryan's house. After escorting Madam Rose home, a message came through on Angeline's phone. It was from Yasser, the lawyer. "Angeline, don't worry. You can sign the divorce agreement without hesitation when Bryan asks you later." Angeline didn't understand the meaning of the message, and she didn't seem eager to find out. The next day, Angeline arrived at the auction looking beautiful, but without Bryan by her side. Bryan was late because of work. Angeline hesitated to step forward as everyone seemed to be with their partners. Suddenly, someone tapped Angeline's shoulder and it turned out to be Alex. "You must have come alone," Alex said, knowing that Angeline was alone, and he immediately took her hand to enter the event together. "What are you doing?" Angeline asked. "No one's watching," Alex explained and led Angeline inside. The auction started and Bryan arrived shortly after. He sat down next to Angeline, who was happy to see him. "All right, since the biggest sponsor of this auction is PT. BW World, let's have a big round of applause as CEO Bryan and his wife have graced us with their presence tonight," the host announced, and the guests applauded enthusiastically. "We will now proceed with the first item up for auction, a beautiful sapphire jewelry piece known as the 'Maldives Tears' with a stunning blue sapphire at its center. This sapphire has been generously donated by renowned gemstone designer Jackson Crush. Bidding starts at $1,000," the host explained, and the auction began. The auction continued until it reached the third item. "Next up, this item belongs to Mr. Bryan's wife, Mrs. Angeline." Angeline and Bryan were both confused. "What did Angeline contribute?" Bryan asked. "I didn't contribute anything. Really," Angeline replied. It turned out that the item donated in Angeline's name was a mug with a picture of a baby and the name "Semesta" on it. Madam Rose seemed to be holding back her laughter. Her plan had worked, and she was confident that Angeline and Bryan would be the laughingstock of the event. "Oh, Bryan, what's going on? I really don't know who brought the Semesta mug as a contribution to this event," Angeline said. "All right, let's start the bidding for the Semesta mug at $100," the host began with the lowest bid. Indeed, many of the attendees burst out laughing, mocking Angeline's seemingly ordinary Semesta mug. Bryan knew immediately that this was Madam Rose's doing. "$1,000," someone raised the bid, and it was none other than Alex. Angeline was surprised and looked in Alex's direction, silently signaling to him that he didn't have to do this. Alex just smiled and stepped up. He was now in front of the participants. The host shifted his position and invited Alex to speak. "Hello, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Alex. When you look at this cup, it may seem rough and simple. But for a designer like me, this painting has a very special charm. You all know that even a very beautiful actress without charisma will never be special. But an actress with an ordinary face can be very charming and special. That's the better actress. It's the same with art; art that can touch someone's heart, like this cup, becomes more valuable than any other work of art. Alex finished his speech and Bryan applauded him. He praised Alex's speech as impressive. "I know the person who created this artwork very well. You are incredibly attentive to detail. They are also humble and kindhearted. When you know the creator of this artwork, you can feel their emotions. So I'll bid $3,000 for it." The bid continued to rise, and a lady offered $3,800. Madam Rose was stunned. "How can they do that? Is the cup gold plated?" What happened next was that Bryan and Alex engaged in a bidding war, raising the price significantly and leaving Angeline stunned. She was stunned and didn't want this. She asked Bryan to stop. "It's not just your Semesta, it's our Semesta. I can't stop now. I have to get our Semesta back." Finally, Bryan bid $30,000 for the Semesta cup, after Alex had bid $10,000 earlier. In the end, Alex didn't dare bid any higher and the Semesta mug returned to Bryan's possession. Everyone in the room applauded for Bryan. Angeline didn't know whether to be happy or sad, but she decided to leave the auction house. Alex watched in surprise as she left. Meanwhile, Bryan immediately followed Angeline and stopped her. "Angeline, what's going on?" "I look like a fool." "W-why? Is it because Angeline doesn't know how the Semesta cup ended up at the auction? Don't worry, I'll find out who did it. I'll punish them." "This is the first time I've really wanted someone. The nicer you are to me, the more I want you. If I go on like this, I still won't be able to live with you and Semesta. So I can only dream of the happiness that other couples have. Then I'll hope for the impossible. I realize that I'm like an uninvited stranger in your life. Someone who is always causing you trouble. Bryan, I think we should stop this. Don't do this again.